After being acclaimed emperor by his troops in A.D. 69 and eliminating his rivals, Vespasian found Rome facing a deep economic crisis and still recovering from the fire that consumed it under Nero.

Using riches plundered from Jerusalem and proceeds from increased taxes, he launched a major public works program and started building the Colosseum - the most ambitious and best-preserved of his projects.

FlameDuck:jake_lex: All I want to know is this: why won't Vespasian release his long-scroll birth parchment?

I expect one in marble, why prolong the controversy?

I won't except any of them, rolling papyrus and marble can easily be forged. I won't except that Vespasian is a Romans citizen until someone comes forwards that was actually at his birth on Roman soil.

Cosmic_Music:After being acclaimed emperor by his troops in A.D. 69 and eliminating his rivals, Vespasian found Rome facing a deep economic crisis and still recovering from the fire that consumed it under Nero.

Using riches plundered from Jerusalem and proceeds from increased taxes, he launched a major public works program and started building the Colosseum - the most ambitious and best-preserved of his projects.

One could draw parallels.

Don't say that, the next thing that we'll see on FoxNews now is "Obama plans on invading Israel", and 45-50% of Americans will believe this to be true.

When his son Titus blamed him for even laying a tax upon urine, he applied to his nose a piece of the money he received in the first instalment, and asked him, " if it stunk?" And he replying no, "And yet," said he, it is derived from urine."

He was broad-set, strong-limbed, and his features gave the idea of a man in the act of straining himself. In consequence, one of the city wits, upon the emperor's desiring him "to say something droll respecting himself," facetiously answered, "I will, when you have done relieving your bowels."

He was broad-set, strong-limbed, and his features gave the idea of a man in the act of straining himself. In consequence, one of the city wits, upon the emperor's desiring him "to say something droll respecting himself," facetiously answered, "I will, when you have done relieving your bowels."

Suetonius, Divus Vespasianus, 20, 1.

Gross fact of the day: In Roman times human urine was a highly prized commodity used for fixing dye to cloth. The urine of the poor was more highly prized than that of the rich as it often was more concentrated and less polluted with alcohol

"Vespasian [...] brought stability to the empire following turmoil under the extravagant Emperor Nero [...] Vespasian found Rome facing a deep economic crisis and still recovering from the fire that consumed it under Nero."

He was broad-set, strong-limbed, and his features gave the idea of a man in the act of straining himself. In consequence, one of the city wits, upon the emperor's desiring him "to say something droll respecting himself," facetiously answered, "I will, when you have done relieving your bowels."

Suetonius, Divus Vespasianus, 20, 1.

Those Wine Baggers are immortal. Here is a mural from their protest of VespasianCare:

ukexpat:God Is My Co-Pirate: jake_lex: All I want to know is this: why won't Vespasian release his long-scroll birth parchment?

Silly, gods don't have birth parchments.

-1. Vespasian was a Roman emperor, not a god. But thanks for playing.

Vespasian was deified shortly after his death. This was done with many emperors, and stuck for a some of them. Since he was the best emperor since Augustus, it made sense for the state to do so. Gaius Julius Caesar (not an emperor), Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus, and Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus were all deified before Titus Flavius Vespasianus was.

Read Seutonius' Twelve Caesars some time, it's a blast and very informative.

When I submitted this headline, I did not include the phrase 'or in fact was born in Kenya.' The mods added that. I'm not sure if the addition was for clarity or for grammar. I thought referencing Kenya was a bit heavy-handed. But this is Fark, where subtlety is hunted down, cornered, and beaten with sticks. If the mods were concerned about the usage of 'whether' as opposed to 'whether or not,' they should know that 'whether' may be used in a manner similar to 'if,' and does not require an 'or' clause. Link (new window)

You fell victim to one of the classic blunders! The most famous is never get involved in a land war in Asia, but only slightly less well-known is this: never go in against and English major when grammar is on the line.

Maturin:You fell victim to one of the classic blunders! The most famous is never get involved in a land war in Asia, but only slightly less well-known is this: never go in against and English major when grammar is on the line.